Speaker
Description
Deficiency of Vitamin D or 25(OH) cholecalciferol, is severe health problem all over the world. Vitamin D is important for calcium and bone metabolism and also protect against various autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, chronic infections, cancers and even infertility. It also plays important role in pregnacy. During pregnancy, fetus acquire their vitamin D from their mother and also for first few months of life after delivery, particularly in breast fed infants. Deficiency of Vitamin D in infants can lead to rickets, respiratory infections, allergic diseases, heart failure. Aims and objective: To investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in postpartum period and to study its relation with the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients. Material And Methods: It wa cross sectional observational study conducted over a period of one year. Sociodemographic characters and serum concentrations of vitamin D in form of 25(OH)D were compared. Results: Total 550 patients were enrolled. Mean age of patients were 26.5 years, around 58% patients were from periurban area, maximum patients were primiparous. Around 90% patients did not have any sun exposure on regular basis. Around 59% enrolled patients were either unbooked or had only one antenatal visit. The mean plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D in postpartum patients was 27.6ng/mL. No association was found between sociodemographic factors studied and vitamin D concentration. Conclusion: This study showed the higher prevalence of deficiency of vitamin D in postpartum patients of India despite having abundant sunlight and identifies the need of supplementation of vitamin D in pregnancy and postpartum and this supplementation has to be followed routinely in hospital in obstetric management protocol
